Details for the upcoming CES 2024 are emerging where Phison is expected to demo four new controllers including a new mobile Gen5 solution. Phison (via Tom’s Hardware) has said that it will showcase a low-powered prototype PS5031-E31T PCIe Gen5x4 controller with read/write speeds of 10,800 MB/s and over 1,500K IOPS. Made using TSMC’s 7nm process and a DRAM-less 4-channel design it can support up to an 8 TB capacity. It is believed this new controller is aimed at mobile devices and will not need the heavy-duty heatsinks that have been commonly seen for many current Gen5 SSDs and also incorporates an ARM Cortex R5 processor. This new controller will no doubt be something that laptop and SSD manufacturers alike will be keeping an eye out for in preparation to grow Gen5 support in the mobile sector.
Phison is also expected to show off its PS5026-E26 Max14um Gen5 SSD with read/write speeds of over 14 GB/s which is faster than any other drives currently on the consumer market. The new drive has previously been shown back in August and uses its E26 controller. External testing has shown it requires cooling to achieve these new speeds even after firmware updates but Phison has hopefully dialed in things more with new firmware.
Gen4 and USB 4.0
The PS5027-E27T, with read speeds of 7,400 MB/s, write speeds of 6,700 MB/s, and 1,200K IOPS, looks to be a good Gen4x4 solution for gaming handhelds such as the Steam Deck and ASUS ROG Ally. It uses TSMC’s established 12nm process and can also support up to 8 TB of storage capacity in 3D TLC or QLC NAND configurations. Both controllers support AE256 encryption. Phison is also expected to debut its new PS2251-21 USB 4.0 controller which is said to be capable of speeds up to 4 GB/s. The new USB 4.0 controller is designed for mobile or non-standard-sized form factors offering the next generation of USB.